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PANTHEON
The Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome, and rebuilt circa 126 AD during Hadrian's reign. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. It is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history. The design of the extant building is sometimes credited to Trajan's architect Apollodorus of Damascus, but it is equally likely that the building and the design should be credited to Emperor Hadrian's architects, though not to Hadrian himself as many art scholars once thought.] Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a Roman Catholic church. The Pantheon is the oldest standing domed structure in Rome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).
Rome's
Pantheon, the temple of all the gods, was built between AD 118-125 by
Emperor Hadrian. In the 7th century it was made into a church by early
Christians and now is lined with tombs. Go inside to see the spectacular
dome. Admission is free. The Pantheon is the best preserved building of
ancient Rome and today is surrounded by a pleasant and lively piazza,
a nice place to sit in the evening and enjoy a drink. A good nearby restaurant
is Armando's, on a street coming off the piazza.
The Pantheon in Rome - Know Before You
Go
The Pantheon stands as the most complete Roman structure on earth, having
survived 20 centuries of plunder, pillage and invasion.
Facts About the Pantheon
The original Pantheon was a rectangular temple built by Marcus Vipsanius
Agrippa, son-in-law of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, as part of a
district renewal plan in 27-25 BC. What tourists see as they relax in
front in the Piazza della Rotonda is radically different than that original
temple. Hadrian rebuilt the structure; maker's stamps in the bricks allow
us to peg his restoration between 118 and 125 AD. Still, the inscription
on the architrave attributes the construction to Agrippa during his third
councilship. The portico in front of the Pantheon is what remains of Agrippa's
original temple.
The Pantheon contains the tombs of Rafael and of several Italian Kings.
Pantheon is a Greek word meaning "to honor all Gods."
Dimensions of the Pantheon
The giant dome that dominates the interior is 43.30 meters or 142 feet
in diameter (for comparison, the White House dome is 96 feet in diameter).
The Pantheon stood as the largest dome ever until Brunelleschi's dome
at the Florence Cathedral of 1420-36. It's still the largest masonary
dome in the world. The Pantheon is made perfectly harmonious by the fact
that the distance from the floor to the top of the dome is exactly equal
to its diameter. Adytons (shrines recessed into the wall) and coffers
(sunken panels) cleverly reduce the weight of the dome, as did a lightweight
cement made of pumice used in the upper levels. The dome gets thinner
as it approaches the oculus, the hole in the top of the dome used as a
light source for the interior. The thickness of the dome at that point
is only 1.2 meters.
The oculus is 7.8 meters in diameter. Yes, rain and snow occasionally
fall through it, but the floor is slanted and drains cleverly remove the
water if it manages to hit the floor. In practice, rain seldom falls inside
the dome.
The massive columns supporting the portico weigh 60 tons. Each was 39
feet (11.8 m) tall, five feet (1.5 m) in diameter and made from stone
quarried in Egypt. The columns were transported by wooden sledges to the
Nile, barged to Alexandria, and put on vessels for a trip across the Mediterranean
to the port of Ostia. From there the columns came up the Tiber by barge.
Preservation of the Pantheon
Like many buildings in Rome, the Pantheon was saved from pillage by turning
it into a church. Byzantine Emperor Phocas donated the monument to Pope
Boniface IV, who turned it into the Chiesa di Santa Maria ad Martyres
in 609. Masses are held here on special occasions.
Pantheon Visitor information
The Pantheon is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on holidays that fall
on weekdays except for Christmas Day, New Year's Day and May 1, when it
is closed. Admission is free.
How to Experience the Pantheon
The Piazza della Rotonda is a lively square filled with cafes, bars, and
restaurants. In summer, visit the Pantheon interior in the day, preferably
in early morning before the tourist throngs, but return in the evening;
the piazza in front is especially lively on warm summer nights when the
Pantheon is lit from below and stands as an enormous reminder of the grandeur
of ancient Rome. The penny pinching backpack crowd floods the steps of
the fountain surrounding one of Rome's trophy obelisks, while tourists
throng to the bars that edge the piazza. Drinks are expensive, as you
might expect, but not outrageous, and you can nurse one for a long time
without anyone bothering you, one of the simple delights of European life.
The restaurants are mostly mediocre, but the view and atmosphere is unparalleled.
To experience good solid Roman food at a good restaurant close by, I recommend
...(Cooming soon) Best coffee at the Tazza d'Oro nearby.
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